Answer in brief
For late-summer football training, wear a light-coloured, loose, lightweight shirt and shorts, keep every extra layer removable, and pack a dry shirt, dry socks and a thin rain jacket. Drink freely throughout the session, not only at set breaks, and plan pauses in the shade. Choose boots for the surface you will actually play on. If a player becomes confused, collapses or is no better after 30 minutes of cooling, treat it as an emergency.
Late summer asks one bag to handle two forecasts
A session at the end of summer can begin in still, humid warmth and end in wind and rain. It is also pre-season for many squads: fitness is coming back, sessions are long and bodies are not yet used to working in heat. The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) notes in its position statement on exertional heat illness that the first two to three weeks of pre-season practice typically carry the greatest risk.
A sensible football training kit for this time of year is therefore a small system, not a single outfit. It has three parts: what you wear at the hottest point of the session, what you put on when the weather turns or the work stops, and what you change into afterwards. Heat comes first because it is the health risk. Rain comes second because it is mostly a matter of comfort and grip.
Training has one advantage over a match. Nobody is obliged to wear full match kit, and the coach controls the clothing, the timing and the breaks. That freedom is the main safety tool on a hot evening, and most of what follows is about using it.
Muggy evenings are harder than the thermometer suggests
Sweat cools you only when it evaporates. NATA describes evaporation as the body’s most efficient way of losing heat and adds that it depends on the humidity and the movement of the air, and that it becomes much less effective when humidity is high. When the air is hotter than the skin, the statement says, heat loss depends entirely on evaporation. A humid, windless evening removes exactly the mechanism a hard session relies on.
Read the forecast accordingly. NATA recommends that organised sport base its hot-weather guidelines on wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), an index that reflects air temperature, humidity, wind and the radiant heat of the sun, and says such guidelines should be set locally. If your forecast does not show WBGT, look at temperature, humidity and wind together and not at the temperature alone.
Then use the clock. For hot weather the NHS advises avoiding the sun between 11am and 3pm and avoiding extreme exercise, and NATA says that in stressful conditions a session should be delayed, rescheduled or shortened. Moving training to the early morning or the evening costs nothing and does more than any fabric.
Shirts, shorts and bibs that let sweat leave
The NHS advice on clothing for hot weather is brief: light-coloured and loose. NATA explains why from the other side, noting that excessive clothing or equipment reduces the body’s ability to regulate its temperature and may increase the heat absorbed from the sun. For football that means a light-coloured, lightweight shirt that does not cling, shorts and thin socks, with nothing underneath that was designed for winter.
Choose fabric by how it behaves when wet. A thin knitted synthetic holds little water and dries between drills; a heavy cotton top holds sweat and gets heavier as the session goes on. Anything that traps vapour is out. NATA is explicit that rubber or plastic suits worn to lose weight stop water vapour leaving the skin and block heat loss, so sweat suits and bin-bag layers have no place in summer training.
Bibs count as a layer. A bib over a shirt is a second skin exactly where the body needs air, so use light mesh ones, take them off at every break, or split teams by shirt colour on the hottest days. NATA’s rule for equipment in general is that players should be allowed to remove it during rest periods. Goalkeepers carry the most fabric and should have the same right to strip back.
Drinks within reach, not only at the whistle
Hydration is a question of access before it is a question of quantity. NATA states that players should have fluids freely available at all times, not just during designated breaks. Its targets are simple: finish a session having lost no more than 2% of body mass, measured before and after, and keep the first urine of the morning light in colour.
No single amount suits everyone. According to NATA, sweat rates during intense exercise in the heat can reach two litres an hour, and people differ widely. The practical tool is a set of scales. Weigh in before and after a few sessions, towel-dried and in minimal clothing; each kilogram lost is roughly a litre of fluid that was not replaced. NATA calls body-weight change the preferred way to monitor dehydration in the field.
Water covers most sessions. NATA also advises fluids and foods that contain sodium, to replace what is lost in sweat and to help the body hold on to the water it takes in. Give every player a named bottle, keep the bottles in the shade or a cool bag, and put them beside the drill, not behind the far goal.
Breaks borrowed from the Laws of the Game
Even match football makes room for heat. Law 7 of the Laws of the Game, published by The IFAB, lists two medical stoppages that competition rules may allow: drinks breaks, which should not exceed one minute, and cooling breaks of ninety seconds to three minutes. That is how the match-day game makes room for heat, within tight limits. A training session can be far more generous.
NATA’s recommendation is to plan rest breaks in advance and to match the ratio of work to rest to the conditions and the intensity. Breaks should be taken in the shade or in a set cooling zone and should last long enough for every player to drink. In practice, build the session in blocks, put the hardest drills first or shorten them, and set up one shaded point with water and towels soaked in cold water.
Give bodies time to adapt. NATA advises acclimatising to heat gradually over 7 to 14 days, raising intensity and duration step by step, and warns that the benefit fades within about three weeks if it is not maintained. A player back from a fortnight away is not acclimatised, however fit. The statement also notes that the risk rises on the day after a session in very hot conditions, so two hard days in a row deserve caution.
Rain after heat: the layer that goes on when you stop
Rain is rarely a problem while you are moving in warm air. The trouble starts when the drill ends: a soaked shirt, a breeze and a tired body cool down fast. Pack for that moment. A thin water-resistant jacket for breaks and the walk back, a dry shirt, dry socks, a small towel and a bag for wet kit weigh little and decide how the rest of the evening feels.
Think of outer layers as things that come off. A long-sleeved top or light jacket is useful on arrival and during the warm-up on a cool, damp evening, should be removed before the main work and can go back on for the cool-down. A zip neck lets you vent without undressing. Heavy hooded sweatshirts are a poor choice for a wet session because they absorb water and stay cold.
Thunder is different, because no clothing answers it. A storm ends the session. Look up the lightning advice of your national weather service before the season, agree where the squad shelters and who makes the call, and do not leave that decision to the moment when the sky turns dark.
Boots follow the surface, and the venue has the last word
Football boots are sold by surface. By trade convention, firm natural grass takes moulded studs, soft or waterlogged grass takes longer studs that often screw in, third-generation (3G) artificial grass takes boots with more and shorter studs, older sand-based pitches and hard ground take turf trainers with many small rubber studs, and indoor halls take flat, non-marking soles. These are conventions, not rules, and a late-summer storm can turn firm ground soft within one session.
The rules come from whoever runs the pitch. The Football Foundation, a registered charity that funds football pitches and facilities, warns that the wrong footwear, such as metal-spiked or flat-soled shoes, can seriously damage a 3G pitch, and it wants players to brush the infill off their boots before they leave the surface. Operators publish their own lists of permitted soles and the lists differ, so check the venue’s rule before you travel.
Look after feet as well as boots. Wet socks blister, so spare socks are worth more than spare shorts. Dry boots at room temperature with paper inside, away from a radiator, and they keep their shape. Wear shinguards for any drill with contact, even on a hot day; a session is not safer because it is called training.
Signs of heat illness that end the session
Heat exhaustion is the common warning. The NHS lists tiredness, dizziness, headache, feeling or being sick, heavy sweating with pale, clammy skin, cramps, a high temperature and intense thirst. Its four steps are to move the person to a cool place, remove unnecessary clothing, give water or a sports or rehydration drink, and cool the skin with cool water and fanning. The person should start to feel better within 30 minutes.
Heatstroke is an emergency. The NHS says to call emergency services if someone is still unwell after 30 minutes of rest, cooling and fluids, or has a very high temperature, hot skin that is not sweating, a fast heartbeat, fast breathing, confusion, poor coordination, a seizure or loss of consciousness. NATA adds a point specific to sport: in exertional heat stroke the first sign is often a change in behaviour, such as collapse, confusion, irritability or aggression, and the skin is usually hot and sweaty. A sweating player can still be in danger.
Cool first. NATA’s principle is to cool the person before transport, with immersion in cold water as the most effective method and cold, wet towels changed frequently or cold-water dousing where no tub exists; without medical staff present, coaches should begin cooling and continue until help arrives. Decide before the season who phones and where the cold water is. This guide is general information: anyone with a medical condition, on regular medication or with a previous heat illness should ask a doctor for personal advice.
Practical checklist
- Check temperature, humidity and wind for the hour of the session, and move or shorten it when the combination is oppressive.
- Wear a light-coloured, loose, lightweight shirt and shorts, and take off bibs and any extra layer at every break.
- Give each player a named bottle beside the drill, and weigh in before and after a few sessions to learn individual fluid losses.
- Pack a thin rain jacket, a dry shirt, dry socks and a towel, and check the venue’s footwear rule before choosing boots.
- Agree in advance who calls for help and where the shade, cold water and towels are if a player shows signs of heat illness.
Questions and answers
What should I wear for football training in hot weather?
A light-coloured, loose, lightweight shirt, shorts and thin socks, with no extra layer underneath. The NHS recommends light-coloured, loose clothing in hot weather, and NATA notes that excess clothing or equipment makes it harder for the body to control its temperature. Bring a dry shirt and a light layer for afterwards, not for the session itself.
How much should a footballer drink during training?
There is no single figure. NATA’s guidance is that fluids should be freely available throughout, that players should finish having lost no more than 2% of body mass, and that morning urine should be light in colour. It reports sweat rates of up to two litres an hour in intense exercise in the heat, so weighing yourself before and after a session is the most reliable way to find your own need.
Can I wear the same boots on grass and on a 3G pitch?
Sometimes, but do not assume it. It depends on the studs and on the venue. The Football Foundation warns that metal-spiked or flat-soled shoes can damage a 3G surface, and pitch operators set their own lists of permitted footwear, which are not identical. Check the rule for the pitch you have booked, and if you train on both surfaces regularly, a second pair is the practical answer.
What is the difference between heat exhaustion and heatstroke?
According to the NHS, heat exhaustion does not usually need emergency help if the person cools down within 30 minutes, while heatstroke must be treated as an emergency. Signs of heatstroke include a very high temperature, confusion, a seizure and loss of consciousness. NATA defines exertional heat stroke by disturbed brain function together with a core temperature above 40.5°C, and notes that the skin is often still sweaty.
Should football training be cancelled when it is hot and humid?
Sometimes it should be moved, shortened or cancelled. NATA advises delaying, rescheduling or shortening activity in stressful conditions, particularly during the first two to three weeks of pre-season, and says guidelines should be local and based on wet-bulb globe temperature. If no local guideline exists, choose a cooler hour, lower the intensity, add shaded breaks and stop if any player shows symptoms.